Autumn Cooking

"Merry everything and happy always."

~Unknown

As a kid, I watched Monte Hall, of the Let's Make A Deal, feature Bruce's canned yams in various pricing games, but didn't put much thought into them because, one I was a kid, and two our family always bought Princella sweet potatoes. As a grown-up My yam of choice was the fresh ones that you bake yourself, and add the sweet seasonings right at the table! One day, I thought I would give Princella a chance, to see what the fuss had been about for my family. Unfortunately, when I opened the can, the first few at the top were moldy. Blech! So, it was non-negotiable, it was fresh yams or sweet potatoes there after! Well, this past Thanksgiving, I decided to give Bruce's yams a chance. Let me tell you, they are fantastic! If you visit their website, there are a few terrific cookbooks you can download and they even make them in zero sugar! I haven't tried those yet, but I was really happy with the original!

Give them a try!

For After The Turkey There's ... Planes, Trains And Automobiles

 "The older you get the more fragile you understand life to be.

 I think that's good motivation for getting out of bed joyfully each day."

~Julia Roberts

This is an awesome holiday movie. It all centers around a simple trip home for Thanksgiving. Funny how the simplest of endeavors, can turn into our biggest nightmares. Holiday travel has all the built in elements ready to produce just that scenario. This movie will have you laughing off all the calories you consumed during Thanksgiving dinner! Directed by John Hughes, and starring Steve Martin and John Candy, it's full of heart and it will remind you of all the best parts of Thanksgiving weekend. Food, family, home, friendship, love, kindness, hope, and, of course, gratefulness. 

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #67... Thanksgiving Edition

 

"It's a beautiful Fall day. Gentle wind teases stubborn autumn leaves. Some defy the gentle wind and sway. A taunting dance. Come with me and look at the magnificence of the last dance."

~Fidelis O. Mkparu

Love's Affliction

"Life is a celebration.

 Consider everything that makes you happy as gift from God and say, 'Thank you."

~Francis Lucille

The Perfume Of Silence

Happy Thanksgiving

 

Be thankful for the beautiful moment.

Be thankful for the gift of today.

Be thankful for how far you have reached.

~Lailah Gifty Akita

Think Great: Be Great

From Our House To Yours...

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Happy Thanksgiving 2024

 

Yes, it's true, this Thanksgiving will be very different, but it's the little things that will get me by, like holding onto the whimsy when I can. My amazing, husband is making dinner tonight, so what more can I ask for on this day? 

 

I am thankful, for this one day.

 

“Give thanks as if you are living just to appreciate life. Live as if your life depends on love, kindness, gratitude, and thanksgiving.” 

 ~Debasish Mridha

 

 

Cinnamon Pecans

 

 

 

 

It's the first day of Autumn! 

 A time of hot chocolatey mornings,

 and toasty marshmallow evenings,

 and, best of all, leaping into leaves!

 

~Winnie The Pooh 

 

Well, it's not really the first day of Autumn, it's actually closer to the end of Autumn, but I feel the urge to bake this time of year, so I present to you, Cinnamon Pecans. Other than the Thanksgiving meal I tag-teamed with Hubby on, this is my first trip into the holiday baking realm. If you also don't count the monster cakelets I made for Halloween. I think the next might be, well, you'll just have to stay tuned.

Dear Sir And Or Madam...

 

“Next time, can you ask him to bring cookies?

 I don't like to put up with that level of insane unless there's some kind of high-calorie compensation.” 

 

~Lauren Beukes,

  The Shining Girls

 

That probably wasn't the strangest Thanksgiving message ever issued by DJT, but it does seem to cover all of those who have an interest in him. Notably absent, a post wishing his family and supporters, a happy thanksgiving. I guess "Happy Thanksgiving to All" addresses that, but it pretty much makes his family, friends, supporters and whoever else that gives a shit about him, Mary Anne and the Professor from Gilligan's Island. Honestly, every holiday from now until forever will be fucked by that lunatic, just like it was when he was in office. Sigh. When he was actually in office, and not just another ignorant Floridian with brain lice, standing on his lawn in his underwear, barking at stray cats, proclaiming himself to be Lord King Trump, president of Miami, we had no real choice but to deal with whatever crazy ass thing that took up shop in his brain. I would still like to know what the hell, "covfefe" meant. Did you know that nonsensical word has it's own Wikipedia page? Honesty, it was exhausting having with him in political life, and I fear he has a really good chance of being put back in office, despite his 91 felony charges. 

 

Here is today's Truth Social post from Mad King Trump...

 

It's his ridiculous attempt at explaining away his apparent cognitive decline, that bugs me to no end. While in office, the big test was for him to remember 5 words.

 

 Man, Woman, TV, Camera, Person

Wouldn't it have been better to have him remember

 words that had nothing to do with his life? 

Book, Paste, Mustard, Rose, Dog

But I guess all words can lead back to Trump...

1.Trump has never read a book.

2. I just know he ate paste on his first day of kindergarten

3. It wasn't mustard he threw at the walls in the White House, it was ketchup

4. Melania took an axe to the beautiful White House Rose Garden

5. Trump will never own a dog, it would steal too much attention away from him.

 

I am fairly sure he is going to be reelected. I think the thought of a president serving from prison intrigues some of the right. We are in dangerous times when that ever seems like a good idea to the electorate. The last time he was in office took years off my life, I fear the next time he serves as president will be no different, and it's not like I have a full lifetime in front of me. If losing my niece and nephew this past summer taught me anything, it was that life is too short to be weighed down by the insanity that is Trump. So I hope I can learn some healthier coping mechanisms between now and November, because the sheet-caking I did last time is just not the way to go! But GOD it helped, and the Grilled Cheese sandwich was the dessert!

Try this recipe for Croque-Monsieur it's amazing! Keep it handy!

Open Your Eyes And Dream

 “It was the golden time of year. Every day the leaves grew brighter, the air sharper, the grass more brilliant. The sunsets seemed to expand and melt and stretch for hours, and the brick facades glowed pink, and everything got bluer. How many perfect autumns did a person get?” 

 
― Elif Batuman,

  Either/Or

 

Yesterday, Thanksgiving, was perfect! Hubby and I shared the delicious chore of preparing dinner. A feast actually, of turkey, cranberry sauce, peas and carrots, yams, and of course, pumpkin pie for dessert! Swoon! Later, we watched two of our favorite holiday movies, The Lemon Drop Kid, with Bob Hope, and Miracle on 34th Street, with Sebastian Cabot. It's my favorite version of the story. I know, I know, I am mostly a purest when it comes to movies. Rarely does a remake of a masterpiece turn out as good as the original, but this version did! It was a 1973 TV movie, and I loved it! Every single minute of it. It didn't really stray from the original, but the actors in the movie were folks I had seen in other projects, so it made the whole thing more relatable. David Hartman, Roddy McDowell, and Jane Alexander were brought it all together perfectly. Plus the incidental music, Miracles and Open Your Eyes And Dream, are 1970s background gems. Thanksgiving can be a hectic holiday, so go put your feet up, grab something soothing, like hot chocolate, and watch Miracle On 34th Street. It doesn't really matter which version, but if you have never seen the one this post is about, just press play, and ENJOY! And Happy Day After Thanksgiving! Can you believe has fast this year has gone?

And Christmas Eve is exactly one month away!

 

 

 

Happy Thanksgiving 2023

"Gratitude is the inward feeling of kindness received. Thankfulness is the natural impulse to express that feeling. Thanksgiving is the following of that impulse." 

 

~Henry Van Dyke

 

Autumn Endures

(Haiku)

By Me

 

 Cinnamon Leaves dance
Under an azure blue sky
Autumn love endures

 

Happy Thanksgiving dear readers, and thank you for still being with me. I am grateful for all of you.  As you know, it has been a really strange year for me personally, and tragic for so many other folks. But while 2023 been uneven in what it put in my path, life is all about change, and opportunities, and how we deal with them. It's also about the changing seasons. I can count among my blessings that Fall has been healing for me personally, and that I am just about finished with the project in the spare room. Photos to follow soon! My hubby still loves me, and we are both in good health, and happy we are still deeply in love after 33 years of marriage. Hendrix is doing well, with no signs of his cancer returning, and Dylan just gets more loving every single day. As for Joey, well I am pretty sure I have said it before, but I am just going to say it again, he is the best Thanksgiving gift we ever received. We found him Thanksgiving weekend, 2013, and I just fall more in love with him every day! And I have the leaves, the ducks, the geese, the cold weather, and so much more to count among my blessings.

 

I am grateful for my condo. My Mini Cooper. And my love.

 

I am truly blessed.

 

My heart is happy. I hope yours is as well.

 

From our house to yours...

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

 

Autumn Leaf Of The Day #45

 

“Maybe late afternoon is autumn; summer’s retreat
not being archived, but suspended, as the feathered
vane of a bird wings its way across the avenue.” 

~Michelle Cahill,

  The Accidental Cage

 

I love oak leaves. They turn such glorious shades of wine and rust. I am lucky enough to live near a park that has at least 30 varieties of trees, and yet the oak always calls me over first. The trees in the park are maturing slowly this year, so it will be closer to Thanksgiving before I can get a picture of the trees in all their glory. I am really looking forward to just taking a whole day and photographing everything Lewis Park has to offer! Bird, leaves, ships in the harbor, it's all waiting for my camera. 

 

 

Stay I Say To Him And Autumn Leaf Of The Day #65

 

"Stay I say to him. Stay in the car. 

Stay in this moment. 

But of course he never does."

 

~Nora Nowlin

If He Had Been With Me

 

Meet the Pied-billed Grebe. What a sweet little bird. Look at his face, so curious. So gentle. He is the one bird that always reminds me of a stuffed animal. A stuffed animal. I really love this little fella, despite the strange call it has. That's just him. To me it sounds like the "bah" sound that sheep make. I should try to find a big group of grebes on YouTube that I can embed in a future post. In the meantime, look at that awesome reflection. I am thinking about entering the Audubon photo contest, which is held after the first of the year. I doubt I could win, given all the amazing entries they receive. Still, that's such a cool accomplishment, that would carry me all the way to my untimely death at the possible talons of an eagle, or the paws of an indoor orange tabby cat. 

 

 

~Me

Happy Thanksgiving And Autumn Leaf Of The Day #64

 

"Thankfulness creates gratitude

 which generates contentment that causes peace."

 

~Todd Stocker

 

Last year we didn't celebrate much, then on Christmas, of course, we both got Covid-19 ( Omicron ). We are sick every year on Christmas, well, at least every year since we moved to the San Joaquin Valley, however this year is different. Alan is retired now, so the likelihood of his getting sick, and passing it on to me, is almost zero. While we will never know for sure, Omicron was just as likely to be spread by someone causally walking past you, as someone you worked with, even if your coworkers are giant idiots! Anyway, I have an amazing amount to be thankful for. We are happily married. Dylan is still doing well, as are my other cats. I am enjoying birding with Alan, and I have a brand new box of books to read through the year. I already have a small library, and now more has been added to it. The Republicans didn't get that "Red Wave" the expected and I am enjoying making holiday graphics, like the one above, from my own photos. 2022 has been a fairly good year, I sure hope 2023 won't hold it against us. 

 

I will let you know in a year how it goes!

 

 

~Me

Ghosts

 

Winter's Ghost

Autumn moon

incautious in the dark river

Winter's ghost walks

with a covered face

and silver bones wait in all animals

to be bone cloth upon her shoulder

wait for her happiness in that they are silver

 

~Tamara Rendell

Mystical Tides

 

~Carly

Stockton, California

November 30th 2020

 

 

Thanksgiving 2020

 

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."

 

~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

 

From Our House To Yours

 

Happy Thanksgiving

 

 

~Carly

November 26th 2020

Stockton California

Flying About The Earth

 

"Is not this a true autumn day? Just the still melancholy that I love... that makes life and nature harmonize. The birds are consulting about their migrations, the trees are putting on the hectic or the pallid hues of decay, and begin to strew the ground, that one's very footsteps may not disturb the repose of earth and air, while they give us a scent that is a perfect anodyne to the restless spirit. Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns."

 

~George Eliot

George Eliot's Life As Related In Her Letter And Journals

Volume #1

 

 

 This has been one of the warmest Thanksgivings I can remember. I don't know if that is a good thing, considering Climate Change, but it's nice for doing landscape and wildlife photography. I have some new subjects, so my body is grateful for the temperatures, although ever since I was a child I have hoped for cold, ideally rainy, Thanksgivings. Doesn't Thanksgiving dinner taste better when it's cold and raining outside? Just like in the summertime I like to put on the air conditioner and climb under a blanket. I'm just wired weird I think. Sunny California gets boring, particularly after summers that don't seem to end. Why does autumn go by so fast, but summer sometimes seems to never end? Just one more thing to ponder I suppose.

~Carly

Stockton, California

November 25th 2020

Happy Thanksgiving 2019

"Thankfulness creates gratitude, 

which generates contentment, that causes peace."

~Todd Stocker 

 #67 Leaf Of The Day

November 28th 2019

Nevada City, California

Nikon

~Mood: Happy

~Me   :)

First Autumn Rain Is The Sweetest

"It was a beautiful autumn day, with air like cider

 and a sky so blue you could drown in it."

~Diana Gabaldon

Outlander

Blue Skies

Thursday November 22nd 2018

Thanksgiving

Home

The rain finally arrived on Wednesday, and it was a was such a welcome relief, it was almost as if Mother Nature gave Northern California a gift and something to be truly thankful for! And believe me, we were, and I am betting everyone shared in the joy of those raindrops! We can finally breathe clean air again, and as of last night, the Camp Fire, in Butte County is 95% contained! While that is truly something to be grateful for, the folks of Paradise have a long way to go before their lives will be back to any semblance of normal! It will a hard climb, but we in California are tougher than we seem, and there has been some incredible generosity directed at that community. Prayers really do help, because it's always good to know folks care enough to take it to God, or send some positive energy, when one is down and out. 

I have so much to be thankful for this holiday. Alan, the boys, food in my cabinets, and love in my heart for humanity. The midterms was pretty great too! Politics makes the world go around, and now we have the Congress to keep Trump in check, which makes me feel a whole lot safer! I also have my leaves to be thankful for! I have seen so many lovely leaves this year, that it isn't even possible to photograph them all for this project, but I hope to finish this year, with one big burst of color, that so far, hasn't made it into my postings. I want to celebrate the beauty that is all around me. The beauty that is sometimes in my own yard! I am happy. Really happy. Now, is life perfect? OH HELL NO! There are still some serious financial matters hanging in the air. I have NO idea if we will be here next year, but I do know that with Alan's love, and the boys snuggles, we will be alright. 

 Thanksgiving Dinner

Thursday November 22nd 2018

Home

A Perfect Autumn Leaf

November 17th 2018

Stockton California

 

And another gift of beauty from autumn!

And another...

 #63 Leaf Of The Day

November 23rd 2018

Stockton California

Samsung

~Mood: Thankful

~Me